Latin American Folklore Archives

, (born August 3, 1940) better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an actor best known for his performances as Captain Willard in the film Apocalypse Now and President Josiah Bartlet on the television series The West Wing. As well as the critical acclaim he has received as an actor, he has become known as an activist.Born and raised in Ohio, United States, with Irish and Spanish parents, Sheen is also an Irish citizen.

Spawn (1997)

He is the father of actors Carlos Irwin Estévez (Charlie Sheen), Emilio Estévez, Ramón Estévez and Renée Estévez, and is brother of the actor Joe Estevez.

Trivia:

Auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972).

Beyond the Stars (1989)

Was considered for the recurring role of Sloan on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1993).

Has memorized and can sing every single Frank Sinatra song.

He can only put his jacket on by flipping it over his head (like Bartlet in “The West Wing” (1999)). His left arm was crushed by forceps when he was born and he has limited lateral movement.

Was nominated for Broadway’s 1965 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for “The Subject Was Roses,” a role that he recreated in the film version of the same name, The Subject Was Roses (1968).

Dead Zone (1983)

Due to his commitment to “The West Wing” (1999), was unable to reprise the role of Robert E. Lee in the Gettysburg (1993) prequel, Gods and Generals (2003). The role was instead played by Lee descendant Robert Duvall, who starred with Sheen in the popular Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now (1979).

Has played both Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in The Missiles of October (1974) (TV) and President John F. Kennedy in the mini-series “Kennedy” (1983), and is the only actor to portray both brothers.

Ranked #5 on Tropopkin’s Top 25 Most Intriguing People [Issue #100]

Final Countdown (1980)

Is portrayed by James Hayden in The Patricia Neal Story (1981) (TV)

Suffered a severe heart attack while filming Apocalypse Now (1979).

According to friends and family, he is closest to son Charlie than anyone else. Indeed, he and Charlie often appear together on the screen, and Martin has even played Charlie’s on-screen father twice. He also appeared as an older “Charlie” in a credit-card commercial.

Received an honorary doctor of letters degree from Marquette University (2003) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the dedication of the school’s new library (according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel web site).

Fire Starter (1984)

As an admirer and supporter of actor James Dean and his legacy, he worked to preserve the high school in Fairmount that Dean attended. In addition, he has visited Fairmount for Dean-related events.

[October 2006] Pursuing a three-year Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature, philosophy, and oceanography at the National University of Ireland (NUIG), Galway, Ireland.

The Chupacabra or Chupacabras (pronunciation: /tʃupa’kabɾa/, from the Spanish words chupar, meaning “to suck”, and cabra, meaning “goat”; literally “goat sucker”), also called El Chupacabra or Los Chupacabras in Spanish, is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico (where these sightings were first reported), Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latter’s Latin American communities.The name comes from the animal’s reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats. Physical descriptions of the creature vary. Eyewitness sightings have been claimed as early as 1990 in Puerto Rico, and have since been reported as far north as Maine, and as far south as Chile. It is supposedly a heavy creature, the size of a small bear, with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base of the tail. Biologists and wildlife management officials view the Chupacabra as a contemporary legend.

Chupacabra

The first reported attacks occurred in March 1995 in Puerto Rico. In this attack, eight sheep were discovered dead, each with three puncture wounds in the chest area and completely drained of blood. A few months later, in August, an eyewitness, Madelyne Tolentino, reported seeing the creature in the Puerto Rican town of Canóvanas, when as many as 150 farm animals and pets were reportedly killed. In 1975, similar killings in the small town of Moca, were attributed to El Vampiro de Moca (The Vampire of Moca). Initially it was suspected that the killings were committed by a Satanic cult; later more killings were reported around the island, and many farms reported loss of animal life. Each of the animals had their bodies bled dry through a series of small circular incisions.

Puerto Rican comedian and entrepreneur Silverio Pérez is credited with coining the term chupacabras soon after the first incidents were reported in the press. Shortly after the first reported incidents in Puerto Rico, other animal deaths were reported in other countries, such as the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Brazil, United States, and Mexico.

El Chupacabra

The most common description of Chupacabra is a reptile-like being, appearing to have leathery or scaly greenish-gray skin and sharp spines or quills running down its back. This form stands approximately 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2 m) high, and stands and hops in a similar fashion to a kangaroo. In at least one sighting, the creature was reported to hop 20 feet (6 m). This variety is said to have a dog or panther-like nose and face, a forked tongue, and large fangs. It is said to hiss and screech when alarmed, as well as leave behind a sulfuric stench. When it screeches, some reports assert that the chupacabra’s eyes glow an unusual red which gives the witnesses nausea.

Another description of Chupacabra, although not as common, describes a strange breed of wild dog. This form is mostly hairless and has a pronounced spinal ridge, unusually pronounced eye sockets, fangs, and claws. It is claimed that this breed might be an example of a dog-like reptile. Unlike conventional predators, the chupacabra is said to drain all of the animal’s blood (and sometimes organs) through a single hole or two holes.